Destiny's Twists
by angel2goddess
Summary: My first story, so please read and review. An AU where Kagome has been in love with Naraku for 10 years, until she meets Inuyasha and her feelings start to change... i suck at summaries sorry! Ch 11 up!
1. Destiny's Twists Prologue

_Prologue_

It all started when I was 15. That was when Naraku walked into my life, as my stepfather. Not the kind of

stepfather that everyone thinks of when you say "stepfather", an older man who your mother married. He

was pretty young, 25 when he married my mother, while she was 50. You may ask how that came about to

be, so I'm going to explain.

My parents were high school sweethearts. They had started dating in the tenth grade, after an entire

lifetime of knowing each other. They were both rich kids, going to the same schools, attending the same

country clubs, so everyone had expected that they would end up together. As soon as high school finished,

the two of them got married, and went on their honeymoon, which lasted a good two years and consisted of many countries. After that, they decided to settle down, and start a family. That was when the problems started.

Mother, no matter how hard she tried, relived heartache after heartache as she constantly miscarried, for a full fourteen years. My parents' marriage tottered on the brink of disaster, as Father's parents were starting to pressure him to divorce Mother. My grandfather wanted Father to produce an heir to their family fortune. Finally, after so much pain and suffering, my mother ended up pregnant one more time, and did everything in her power to hold on to her child. It worked, and I was born.

However, I had only postponed the inevitable. My parents were overjoyed to finally have a child, no matter the sex, but my grandfather, upon finding out that my mother had given birth to a girl, stormed over and berated my father for not heeding his advice and divorcing my mother sooner. The marriage lasted only three more years, before my parents, now strangers to each other after so many years, decided to divorce. They divorced almost as quickly as they had married, Father giving Mother anything she wanted, for even with all the things everyone had told him, he still loved her. They rarely spoke to each other after that, even when it was about me.

My mother started dating again after six years. Up until then, she mourned the collapse of her marriage, blaming her parents. Even to this day, she rarely speaks to her parents, and when she does, it's mostly about me. The men she dated for the most part were younger than she was, and then, when I was fifteen, she remarried. She married Naraku, who at the time was twenty-five, while my mother was fifty. She knew why he had married her; he had married her for her money, and her position in society. He was tall, with hair the color of ebony, and eyes that could sear through you. The way he walked, talked, everything about him fascinated me, and the first time I met him, I felt my heart jump into my throat, and I knew that I loved him. I loved him even though he was married to my mother, even though he cheated on her all the time, even though he looked at me as just a kid. I could not help myself.

After two years, that marriage fell apart as well, and my mother since then hasn't remarried. She worried only about me, about my education. I finished college top of my class, and went on to be a successful architect. Which has led me to my current predicament.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting Him

_Chapter 1: Meeting Him_

I came to this party because it was somewhat required of me. My boss, Miroku, threw it as an anniversary present to his wife, Sango. Everyone that was anyone went to the party, and I knew that if I wanted to make some connections, I needed to go. So, I put on my best Christian Dior dress and shoes, and drove myself to the party.

After greeting Miroku and Sango, giving them their anniversary present, and greeting everyone that I knew there, I went over to the bar and ordered myself a glass of cognac. I sat at the bar, just looking around at everyone. There were plenty of people there, some that I knew from work, and some that I knew from parties that my parents had had. Being the daughter of two of the most prominent families in Tokyo did have its' perks, such as meeting people that I probably never would have met any other way. I knew quite a few politicians, actors, and musicians, as well as a whole gaggle of people from school. I sipped at my drink, considering whether or not to go talk to Shippou, a cousin of mine, when the man standing next to him turned around. My breath immediately caught in my throat, as I recognized the black hair, the searing eyes, the swagger. It was Naraku.

He approached the bar, and ordered a brandy. I was just sitting there like an idiot, and I know that my jaw was hanging open. God forbid that my grandfather was here, because I knew that if he saw me sitting here staring at some man with my jaw hanging on the floor, he would berate me in front of everyone for my horrible manners. I quickly searched the room, scanning everyone to see if my grandfather was there. I breathed a sigh of relief, closing my eyes for just a second.

"Umm, excuse me if I'm interrupting, but can I sit here?" I jumped as the deep voice, slightly rumbling, disturbed my thoughts. I opened my eyes, only to be confronted with eyes the color of liquid gold, and a face that looked chiseled out of marble. My breath caught once more, but this time from the sheer beauty that this man radiated. I quickly gathered my thoughts, before the man thought that I had completely lost it, and said,

"Of course. I'm sorry if I'm a little lost, I'm just thinking about something." I moved over a little, as the man sat on the stool next to mine. I noticed that he did it with such grace, he seemed to just float down onto the seat. He looked up at me, flashing me a grin that surprisingly made butterflies dance through my stomach. His black hair, which reached to his waist, brushed my arm just slightly, sending goosebumps up my entire arm, an electric shock moving through my entire body. It felt like silk, and even at this distance, I could pick up the faintest hint of the forest from him. It fascinated me, and I found myself breathing it in deeply, as if it was somehow familiar to me.

"So, what were you thinking about, if I may know?" he asked me, and I looked at him a bit confused. The grin that lit up his face started to disappear, as he said,

"Did I say something wrong?"

"What? No, no, it's just, I'm completely lost tonight. I'm sorry." I laughed, realizing how silly that sounded. He smiled at me once more, before asking,

"Well, could I perhaps know what would make such a beautiful lady so confused?" I looked at him, and tears formed in my eyes. His smile disappeared, as he noticed the tears in my eyes, and a slight frown appeared on his face, bringing his eyebrows in closer together.

"A man that I have been in love with for so long I can't remember wanting anyone else," I said in a soft voice, laced with pain. He put a hand on my shoulder to show me he understood, before he said,

"I know that it is hard to go on, but you can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone," he said, another smile lighting up his face. I smiled at him as well, and said,

"He's here actually. His name is Naraku." At the mention of that name, I only saw the smile fall away from his face, to be replaced by a look of such hatred that it chilled me to the bone.


	3. Chapter 2: The Party's End

_Chapter 2: The Party's End_

I just looked at the man, and realized that his hand was still on my shoulder, but that he was now squeezing it so hard in his anger that it hurt. I felt pain blossoming in my shoulder, and slowly intensify, until I was squirming under him.

"You're hurting me." He blinked at me, then removed his hand, and promptly walked away. He pushed through people, and I sat there, in complete shock. What had I done now?

After a while, I realized that Sango was standing next to me, apparently calling my name.

"Kagome! Kagome! Are you alive? What is wrong with you? I've been standing here for five minutes!" She looked at me, fear obviously showing in her eyes. I finally acknowledged her presence by hugging her, and saying tearfully,

"Oh, Sango, I think I did something wrong again! Men always run away from me! What did I do this time?" I cried into her shoulder, while she held on to me, shushing me. She stroked my hair, and asked me,

"What happened? Come on, you can tell your best friend." I picked up my head, and looked at her, the tears still coursing down my cheeks.

"I saw Naraku." I saw that she understood, because she took my hands in hers, and said,

"Kagome, you know that we had to invite him. He is a very important politician, you know, and it would really help Miroku with work. You know, the publicity and all." We both looked over at Miroku, who was currently trying to grab a young woman, and Sango rolled her eyes, while I shook my head. That man would never change.

"Kagome, I know it's more than seeing Naraku here. Something else happened, and you know if you don't tell me I'll get Shippou to weasel it out of you." I looked over at my red-haired cousin, who waved at Sango and I, and we both started laughing. I knew that Sango would find out one way or another, so I decided to tell her.

"I met a man. No, Sango, it's not what you think it is," I said quickly as she perked up visibly.

"I don't even know his name. I just told him that I was in love with Naraku, and he stormed off." Sango's eyebrows shot up into her hairline, and she looked at me strangely, before saying,

"Can you at least _describe_ Mr. Mystery Man to me?" I sighed deeply, and was suddenly assaulted with the memory of liquid gold eyes searing my soul, the smell of the forest still clinging to me faintly. It seemed strange to me, but the more I thought about it, the picture I made of that man was clearer to me than any I had ever made in my thoughts of Naraku. I turned to Sango, and sighed,

"He was gorgeous. He had these _eyes_, the color of liquid gold, and his _face_, it was like he had been chiseled from marble… What are you staring at me for?" I fought down a blush, but it was impossible, what with the way Sango was staring at me. I dropped my head to avoid the way she was staring at me, though I could feel her still staring at me, boring holes into my skull with her eyes.

"You, my friend, just perhaps made yourself a new enemy. That was Inuyasha, Naraku's nephew, and the two of them can't stand each other. But, the way you talk about him… I think you like him," she said firmly, while I choked, quite loudly. Sango absentmindedly pounded me on the back, while exclaiming to everyone that I had swallowed a peanut, and it went down the wrong pipe. As soon as I could breathe again, I said, in a low hiss,

"Are you _nuts_! I _love_ Naraku, always have, and always will!"

"Alright, Kagome, just to tell you, here comes your dream hunk!" I looked up, and immediately blushed as I saw Naraku approach us; I fought down the blush, and put the most sensual look on my face that I could manage.

"Hello, Naraku, it has been a while since I saw you," said Sango, her voice literally dripping with sarcasm. Naraku only looked at her, before turning to me and saying,

"Hello, Kagome, it's been quite a while since I've seen you." A smile appeared on his face, and I noticed that he gave me the once over. I wanted to run around screaming with joy, for I knew that my body had changed a bit since the last time that he had seen me. I was lithe in form, with my black hair cascading along my back, and my green eyes had become even greener than the last time he had seen me. _Thank the _**Gods**_ for all that time spent in the gym!_

"Well, what can I say?" I purred to Naraku, in my most sensual voice. I could literally see him perk up, while Sango gave me the evil eye. She turned to me, and said,

"Well, I have to go see what Miroku is doing. He had better not be trying to grab any other women…" And with that, she turned away to go find Miroku, leaving me alone with Naraku.

"I noticed you earlier, sitting here at the bar, but I had to go talk to some people." He gave me his most charming smile, and I melted, even though I knew that he was lying; Naraku was well known as a playboy, women to him were for the most part playthings. I had seen him talking to a few women, some of them well-known models and actresses. I could not help myself; I loved the man more than life itself. So I responded to his smile with one of my own, one that made him beam. He sidled up to me, and put a hand around my waist, whispering into my ear,

"How about you and I go out tomorrow night?" I looked at him; his manner of approaching a woman startled me, but I gave him a smile, and said,

"I would love to. Here's my cell number, call me tomorrow around six, I finish work then, and we'll talk." I wrote down the number on a slip of paper, and dangled it between my fingers at him. He pulled me closer, before whispering once more in my ear,

"Will do. See you tomorrow, Kagome." His arm left my waist, brushing against me ever so softly. I felt goosebumps rise up along my entire body, and I know that I stood there like a complete idiot. A minute or so passed, and then, walking on air, I went up to Miroku and Sango, bid them goodbye, and left the party. I could barely walk, let alone drive, but I somehow made it home to my apartment, where as soon as I closed the door, I leaned against it, sighing. I smiled to myself, then took a shower, and went to bed. I could hardly wait for tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3: Seeing Him

_Chapter 3: Seeing Him_

Naraku didn't call the next day, or the day after that. He didn't call at all. I didn't want to admit to myself that he just did that to get my number, but slowly I came to the realization that maybe he had. I was heart-broken, and I didn't want to admit it to anyone. Even Sango noticed that I was quieter, when she called after two weeks.

It was Saturday, almost a month after the party, and I heard the phone ring. I was still lying in bed, and I somehow answered the phone, knocking everything off the night table in the process.

"Hello?" I said, my voice muffled by the covers and sleepiness.

"Heya, Kagome, watcha doing? Anything new today?"

"Sango, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Of course I do! It's one o'clock, and it's time for you to stop sulking, and get out of bed. I'm coming over in half an hour, and you and I are going shopping."

"No, Sango, please don't-" Click. I groaned, before flipping over on to my back and considering whether I would actually get out of bed or not. _I'm gonna _**kill**_ her when she comes over!_ I finally got out of bed, and walked over to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I slipped off my pajamas, before stepping into the ridiculously hot shower, and showering.

When I got out of the shower, I started getting dressed when someone rang the doorbell. I sighed audibly, while running over to the door, and screaming,

"Alright, Sango, I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold your horses!" I opened the door, and there stood Sango, with a look on her face that could melt rock. She entered the apartment, slamming the door behind herself, while I turned back to getting dressed. After all, I _was_ running around in underwear, and even though Sango _is_ my friend, I feel pretty uncomfortable being even half-naked around anyone. The product of the strict, patriarchal upbringing that I had had, compliments of my grandfather. I looked over at Sango as I put on jeans and a tank top, who plopped herself on the couch, and started immediately yelling at me.

"Kagome, you can't keep doing this to yourself! You knew very well what kind of man Naraku is, and yet you're still in a depression because he didn't call you after three and a half weeks! Haven't you gotten yet that he's not gonna call?" I gave Sango the Look of Death as I walked into the living room, and turned on the TV, plopping myself on the couch opposite hers. I flipped through the channels until I found a French one, which I knew would irritate Sango to no end, as she didn't know French and actually hated the language. I got to watch for about five seconds, before she stood up, and turned off the set, turning to me, steam basically shooting out of her ears.

"Now you listen to me, Kagome Takechi-Higurashi, you are not going to sit here and watch this fucking evil box anymore! I have had enough! We are going shopping, and we are going NOW!" I winced as her scream almost broke my eardrums, before she grabbed my arm, with a strength that surprised me, and literally hauled me to the door.

"Wait, wait I need my purse!" I yelled, grabbing my purse, and a hairclip, to hold back my hair. I took the keys out of the lock, and locked my door. As soon as I had locked the door, Sango grabbed my arm, and dragged me the entire way to the elevator, where she literally shoved me inside, and punched the button for the garage. I didn't look at her, because I knew that if I tried to say anything, she would probably rip me apart. I wanted to live at least a few more years, so I kept my mouth shut.

When we arrived at the garage, Sango pulled out the keys to her Lexus, and unlocked the door, sitting in the driver's seat. I looked at Sango, and said, in a timid tone,

"Ummm, Sango, are you _sure_ that you should be driving?" She looked at me, before growling through clenched teeth,

"Get… in… now…" I hurriedly got into the car, and she turned on the car, putting it in reverse. She pulled out of the garage, and drove away onto the street, pulling out at a good fifty miles an hour. I thought that I was going to die on the street, as Sango was going a hundred miles an hour. I looked around for police, and prayed that some would come and stop her. But, just my luck, there were no police today within a twenty-mile radius of us, where usually I knew that there were at least ten patrol cars within a two-block radius of my building. All I could do was hold on for dear life, and pray that I would get to the shopping center in one piece.

When Sango finally pulled into the underground parking lot, and parked the car, I was glued to my seat. I opened my door slowly, and as soon as my brain registered the fact that I wasn't going to die, I literally ran out of the car, ready to run into the center and scream for anybody to help get me away from this maniac that I thought was my friend. I only managed to run about twenty yards, before I ran into something warm, tall and black. I fell on my behind, only managing to let out a soft,

"Ouch…"

"I'm dreadfully sorry, madame, here let me help you up." I saw a hand coming toward me, and the owner of the voice suddenly lifted me up. I kept my head down, as I was bright red from embarrassment. I looked over at Sango beneath my bangs, barely moving my head, and she looked like she had just gotten hit with a Mack truck. She noticed me looking at her, and motioned for me to look at whom I had run into. I lifted my head, and was once again assaulted with liquid gold eyes.

"It's you…" I whispered, while Inuyasha's face only hardened at realizing who I was, before he turned abruptly on his heel, and started to walk away. I grabbed his arm without even thinking, and said, in a hurt voice,

"I'm not carrying the bubonic plague, so you can stop running away from me now! What did I do to you that was so wrong?" He responded by wrenching his arm out of my grip, and basically spitting out,

"Stay away from me, bitch! Don't you have better things to do than to purposely run into me?" I looked at him, mouth flapping open and closed like a goldfish, until I finally managed to say,

"Excuse _me_! You think that I _purposely _ran into you? You jerk! You dipshit! Do you have any _idea_ who I am?" Sango crept closer to my side, and started pulling on my arm.

"Let it go, Kagome. Please, just let it go." She was begging me, but I couldn't hear a word that she said, as I continued to rant at Inuyasha.

"How _dare_ you treat me like I am nothing better than the ground beneath your feet! I'll have you know that I am Kagome-"

"I know very well who you are, and I don't want you to come near me again. You see me on the street, walking in your direction, you turn and cross the street, bitch. Stay away from me, wench." And with that, he was gone, going off to a black Ferrari that stood parked nearby, getting into it. I just stared after him, fists clenched into little balls at my side, my fury and rage just building up more. He turned on his car, and floored it to get out of the garage, tires squealing in protest at his speed. I let out a frustrated scream, before I turned around, yanked Sango by the hand, and almost ran into the center.


	5. Chapter 4: His Reasons

_Chapter 4: His Reasons_

"Kagome, please slow down! I'm begging you; let's go get a cup of coffee! Please, I can't keep your pace up!" Sango panted to Kagome, who turned around to look at her friend, before saying,

"Alright, _one_ coffee, and then we go back to shopping!" Kagome grabbed Sango by the arm, and dragged her over to the food court, which wasn't very far from the store she had intended to enter, and Sango sat while she ordered two coffees. Sango stretched her legs out, finally glad that after four hours, she got a break from being on her feet. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, imagining how she would run a nice, warm bath for herself when she got home…

"Here's your coffee." Kagome banged the cup on the table, startling Sango so much she jumped. She pulled the coffee closer to herself, and sipped slowly at the steaming liquid inside. Sango shook her head, before saying,

"Kagome, you and I have been friends for years. Are you _ever_ going to learn that I actually want some coffee with my sugar?" Kagome, sipping her coffee, looked at her, and said,

"Well, you haven't learned yet how I like _my_ coffee, why should I learn how you like yours?" Sango sighed in exasperation, before turning away to look at people going into and coming out of stores. She suddenly noticed one man in particular, his long black hair and golden eyes striking her even from a distance of twenty yards. He looked at her as well, before turning to the woman next to him, and moving out of Sango's sight. She turned back to Kagome, and said to her, in a worried tone,

"So, have you blown out all your anger, or are we gonna keep shopping until we drop from exhaustion?"

"Can you tell me what his problem is?"

"What?" Sango looked at Kagome, who obviously hadn't even heard what Sango had just asked her. Kagome seemed seriously worried about what Inuyasha had said to her, even hurt. Kagome was known to be a real softie, she was the one who was worried about everyone, and never worried about herself. She had even put herself in danger a couple of times to help those that she loved most.

Sango sighed. She knew the story, of course, had heard it from Inuyasha's own mouth, when he had come over to ask Miroku to not invite Naraku to their anniversary party. The story he had told horrified her, and showed how much of an asshole Naraku really was. She had never liked him anyway. She sighed once more, and decided to tell the story, even though Inuyasha should have been the one to tell Kagome, but he didn't really seem inclined to do that anytime soon.

"He hates Naraku, you know." Kagome rolled her eyes, saying in an irritated voice,

"Yeah, Sango, I got that. What is his problem with _me_?"

"Well, see, do you remember that supermodel from a few years back that everyone said looked so much like you?"

"Yeah, Kiko or Kikyouor something like that, I remember."

"Well, Inuyasha had been in love with her for the longest time. They went to the same school together, and they had even dated for a little while. But Kikyou had always loved Naraku, and he had just played with her. Inuyasha was furious at the way that Naraku was treating Kikyou, and he said that since she couldn't love him, and she loved Naraku, the least that Naraku could do was tell her how he felt, and not play with her. Naraku just backhanded him, and said that he should know better than to tell his elders what to do. He also said that Kikyou meant absolutely nothing to him, and if she was game for being played with, then who was Inuyasha to interfere. Inuyasha completely lost it then."

"He did the worst thing he possibly could have. He went at Naraku, clamping his hands around his throat, and I think he might have even killed Naraku had Kikyou not stepped in, with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's older half-brother, at her heels. She begged Inuyasha to stop, telling him that he had to, and Sesshoumaru was the one who literally pried Inuyasha away from Naraku. Sesshoumaru dragged Inuyasha out of the room, while Kikyou stayed inside to talk to Naraku. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha waited a few minutes, when all of a sudden they heard this maniacal laughter. Kikyou ran out of the room, crying, tears pouring down her face, and pushed past Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Naraku came out of the room, still laughing, and looked at Inuyasha, before he hit him once more, and left. Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha back, until Naraku left. Aweek or so after that incident, it was all over the papers that Kikyou had killed herself. Inuyasha blamed Naraku for the incident, though no one ever knew why she had killed herself, as she had left no note. There was no autopsy done, on Naraku's insistence. And she was just buried, and with her something inside Inuyasha was also buried. That's all I know."

"My God, that's horrible. But, that still doesn't explain why he hates _me_, and I would really like to know why…" Kagome cut off, with tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't understand why he hated her so much; for some reason, the fact that Inuyasha hated her hurt more than she would like to admit.

"Kagome, you look a lot like that Kikyou, and I think the fact that you love Naraku just reminded him of past pain. I think it's his knee-jerk defense mechanism, to protect himself from the pain of the past. I would probably do the same thing if I was in his shoes."

"Well, I didn't _ask_ to fall in love with Naraku, it just happened! I didn't _plan_ it, so what is his problem with _me_? Why does he hate me so much? And with such venom in his voice…"

"Kagome, why do Inuyasha's comments hurt you so deeply?"

"I don't know, Sango, I just don't know why…" Kagome hung her head, a tear falling off her cheek, which hit the floor. Sango looked at her friend, and glanced up, something telling her to look up. A few feet away, she saw Inuyasha standing there, staring at Kagome, pain noticeable in his face. He noticed that Sango was looking at him, a look of wonder on her face, and his expression changed from one of pain, to one of indifference. He then walked away, without even a glance over his shoulder at Kagome. Sango turned back to her friend, and said,

"Kagome, it's ok, don't cry." She put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, and Kagome looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears. She smiled at Sango, before flashing her a huge grin, and saying,

"Ok, finish your coffee, and then we go back to our shopping spree!" Kagome laughed at Sango's exhausted and shocked face, who looked as if she was having an internal debate whether to kill Kagome or run out of the center as fast as her legs could carry her.

"You can't be serious, Kagome. Are you… NORMAL!" Sango yelled, before grabbing Kagome and shaking her.

"Calm down, calm down, I was just kidding! We're done, we're done!" Kagome said, through laughs and hiccups. Sango let her go, but not without the Look of Death being leveled at Kagome. Kagome just let out a laugh at her friend's reaction, before picking up her bags, and turning in the direction of the exit. Sango also picked up her bags, but not before slyly turning to where she saw Inuyasha before, and was not surprised to see him standing there, a small smile on his face. She smiled inwardly to herself; whatever Kagome said, Sango could see that there was more between her and Inuyasha than there ever was with Naraku. She secretly praised the gods for that, and picked up the pace to catch up with her friend. _Oh, this will be interesting, so very interesting._


	6. Chapter 5: Plans for Tonight

_Chapter 5: Plans for Tonight_

Sango barely somehow managed to take her keys out of her purse, and pressed the automatic trunk opening key. _Thank the Gods for modern-day technology, _she thought to herself. She pushed the trunk of the car open more, swinging it completely open, and stuffing the ten huge shopping bags into the trunk. Kagome came up with at least another ten, arms overflowing with bags.

"Sango, take a couple, please. I can't hold them anymore," she panted. Sango looked at her, before reliving her of some bags. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived, as Sango immediately said,

"Well, did I _force_ you to buy this much stuff? Noooo! You just _had_ to have the Christian Dior shoes, and then you _had_ to have the Armani dress, then you _had _to have this, and that, and this. You really aren't normal, you know that, right, Kagome?" Kagome giggled, before putting the rest of the bags on the back seat. She was about to get in the car when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around, only to find herself face-to-face with Naraku.

"N-Naraku!"

"Hello, Kagome. It's been a while."

"What do you want, Naraku?" Sango asked, a frown on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. Naraku looked at her, his face twisting with rage.

"Hello, Sango. How is everything?" he said, before turning back to Kagome, a sensual look slipping over his face. Kagome felt warm and tingly all over, what with the way Naraku was looking at her. Her body was responding to the way he was looking at her, and it wasn't like she didn't want it to.

"So, what happened with calling me, and going out?" Kagome asked, her arms crossing over her chest.

"I was busy, Kagome. I had a lot of responsibilities that I had to take care of. Being a politician is a hard job, you know," he said, his voice literally dripping with sensuality.

"What kind of responsibilities?"

"I had a charity ball, and I did have to be in the Senate. The opposing party is trying to push through a law that I don't like, and I had to be there to fight it." Kagome softened, uncrossing her arms, and said, in a soft voice,

"Well, you could have at least called."

"How about you and I go out right now, Kagome? I'm here now, you're here now, let's go." Kagome looked over at Sango, whose facial expression showed that she was _not_ happy with that idea. Sango shook her head slightly, and Kagome turned back to Naraku.

"I'm going to go home, where I'm going to change into something nice, and then you come pick me up, at exactly seven o'clock. If you're late even five minutes, the date is off, and I will never talk to you again."

"Alright, Kagome, that's fine. Just if you could please tell me where you live. I don't know, and I don't want to be late…" he finished, with a smile. Kagome couldn't help but smile back, before she took out a paper and pen. She turned to the car, put the paper on the roof, and wrote something on it. She turned back to Naraku, and handed him the paper. He smiled once more at her, before he pulled her close to him, and kissed her on the cheek. He then left, leaving Kagome standing there, her hand coming up to touch her cheek. _He kissed me…HE KISSED ME!_ Kagome laughed, and started jumping around, pumping her fist in the air. Sango came over to her, and grabbed her by the arm, in mid-jump.

"Are you _crazy_, Kagome? You gave that madman your _address_! Even after everything I just told you!" Kagome looked at Sango, who looked hurt, and insulted, and worried. Kagome hung her head, and mumbled in a soft voice,

"I'm sorry, Sango. I couldn't help myself. He just-he has such _power _over me, and it's like he knows it. He knows exactly when to approach me, when I'm the most vulnerable." She hugged her friend suddenly, and said,

"Don't worry about me, Sango, I'll be fine. Just-just get me home, and I'll take care of Naraku, later."

"Ok, Kagome, just please be careful. I don't want anything happening to you, ok?" Sango looked at Kagome, who nodded her head, and they both got into the car. Sango started up the car, and they left. The entire ride home Kagome was quiet, staring out the window. They soon got to her building, and Sango helped her take all her bags up to her apartment. Once they had put the bags down, Sango turned to Kagome, gave her a hug, and said,

"If you need anything, anything at all, call, ok?" Kagome nodded her head, and closed the door after Sango. She leaned against the door, before going into her bathroom, and turning on the shower. She got into it and showered, then started to prepare for the date. She'd be damned if Naraku didn't fall on his ass when he saw her!


	7. Chapter 6: Date with the Devil

_Chapter 6: Date with the Devil_

Kagome put the last finishing touches to her hair, and arranged her skirt once more. _I hope this is good enough for him_. The skirt was black, and covered her behind, but barely. She only prayed that she didn't have to bend over anywhere. The shirt she had chosen was also black, with a deep, plunging décolleté. Her hair was loose, but she had curled the ends, and the makeup that she had chosen accented her green eyes. She had even called up her makeup artist, Souta, to make sure that she had gotten the colors right. She thanked everything she believed in once more for webcam, because that way Souta had been able to see exactly what she was wearing without coming over.

The doorbell rang, and she looked at the clock. It read exactly seven o'clock. _He's actually on time_, she thought to herself. She ran over to the door, as she yelled,

"Just a minute!" She opened the door, and there stood Naraku, decked out to the nines in a black Armani suit with a black shirt and a crimson tie. She was stunned; the man sure knew how to dress! Apparently, Naraku felt the same way about her, because for a full thirty seconds he just stood there, staring at her, a sensual grin plastered on his face. Kagome blushed, and turned her head away slightly, before saying,

"Would you like to enter? I just have to grab my coat and purse, and put on my earrings. That's gonna take me about thirty seconds, then we can leave." Naraku simply stepped inside as an answer, and he closed the door behind himself as she went into her room, to grab her earrings. He stood and looked at the apartment, before saying,

"This is a nice apartment. Did you decorate it yourself?"

"Yes, I did," she answered from her bedroom, putting on her silver hoop earrings. Naraku went over to the living room, and sat down on one of the couches. He ran his hand over the beige leather, and smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. He opened them when Kagome came out of her room, her coat hanging slightly off her shoulders, and a clutch in her hand.

"Are you ready?"

"Of course," he said, standing up smoothly. He followed her to the door, where she opened it and let him out, before leaving herself, locking the door behind her. She turned around, stunned to find that he stood next to her, arm extended. She put her arm through his, and they went to the elevator, where Naraku called it. Inside of the elevator, he pressed the button for the garage, and the elevator glided smoothly. Kagome felt her heart pounding at a hundred miles an hour, and took a shaky breath to calm her nerves. The elevator door opened, and Naraku waited for her to exit, before he exited. He led her to a sleek red Ferrari, and opened the door for her. She entered, a smile upon her face, and he closed the door. He sat in the driver's seat, and turned on the car. She turned to him, and said,

"Naraku, where exactly are you taking me?" He smiled, before saying,

"Now, now, it's a surprise. What is the point of a surprise if I tell you where we are going?" He pulled out of the garage, and into the street.

A half-hour later, they stopped in front of Alberto's, a high-class Italian restaurant in the downtown of Tokyo. Naraku stepped out of the car, as a valet came up and opened Kagome's door. Naraku gave the keys to a valet, as the other valet helped Kagome step out of the car. Naraku appeared at her side, as soon as she stepped out of the car. He took her arm in his, and they walked into the restaurant.

At the entrance, a host stood, and said,

"Good evening, Mr. Hakechi. Please, follow me this way." The host led Naraku and Kagome to a table on the terrace, away from prying eyes. The host pulled out Kagome's chair, while Naraku sat down. A waitress came, and put menus in front of them, and said,

"Welcome to Alberto's, my name is Saeka, and I'll be your waitress for tonight. Would you like to start off with something to drink, and perhaps some appetizers?" Naraku looked up from his menu, and said, in a haughty tone,

"Yes, we'll take a bottle of Dom Perignon, vintage 1982, for now." The waitress nodded her head, and headed off in the direction of the kitchen. Kagome looked at her menu, and her eyebrows bunched up as she stared at the selection of dishes.

"Kagome, you don't have to be so tense. I know what is best here, so if you don't know what all those strange names are, I can tell you." Kagome looked up and smiled, before saying,

"Naraku, I spent two years in Italy. I speak perfect Italian, and I know every single thing on this menu, because I have eaten or seen it in Italy. I'm just considering what is best with champagne." Naraku looked stunned, before his face changed, his eyelids dropping half closed, and a slight half smile showing on his face.

"Well, I'm impressed. However, _I _know what is best here. I'll do the ordering, you don't have to even worry that pretty little head about the food." Kagome looked at him, insulted, and dropped her head down to look at the menu. _I'll be damned if he orders my food_. She bunched her eyebrows together once more, and waited for the waitress to come back.

After a few more minutes, the waitress came back, carrying a bottle of Dom Perignon in an ice bucket, and put the bucket down. She took the bottle out, and poured out the champagne into two glasses. She put the bottle back in, turned to Naraku, and said,

"Would you like to order now, sir?" Naraku looked up, and said,

"Do I look like I want to order?"

"I-I don't know, sir." Naraku's eyelids lowered, making his eyes mere slits on his face.

"If I didn't want to order, why did I come here? To drink champagne?" he snarled at her, and she backed away slightly, taking out her pen and pad.

"Well, what do you wish to order, sir?" His eyes opened, he looked at the menu, and said,

"We'll have two orders of the tagliatelle with shrimp, two Caesar salads, and two steaks, medium-well done." The waitress scribbled madly, and was about to turn around when Kagome lifted her head up, and said,

"Actually, can you please change that to one order of tagliatelle, and I'll have the spaghetti a carbonara, and a garden salad. Thank you." The waitress nodded, and turned off to the kitchen, while Kagome looked over at Naraku, who was obviously furious, his face twisted in rage.

"I'm allergic to shrimp, that's why I can't eat the tagliatelle," she said, her voice triumphant. His face smoothed out, taking on an indifferent mask. He leaned back in his seat, and lit a cigarette, before saying,

"Well, you could have said so." She sat there, watching him smoke his cigarette, before she lit her own. She finished that cigarette in complete silence, neither he nor she speaking a word, until the food came. When they had finished the food, once more in complete silence, Kagome ordered a piece of cheesecake as dessert, and sat silently eating it. She was halfway finished when Naraku said,

"You haven't said a word all night. Is something wrong?" She looked over at him, incredulous, before she said,

"You're asking _me_ if there's anything wrong?"

"Well, of course. You haven't said a word at all."

"No, no, nothing is wrong at all. Absolutely fucking nothing." He cocked an eyebrow at her usage of words, then leaned in closer to her. She backed away a little, and he pulled his chair closer to hers. He caught her hand in his for a few seconds, before she tore it out of his grip. He smiled at her, before saying,

"Your pulse is racing."

"S-so?" Naraku smiled, and looked at Kagome, his eyes narrowing slowly, his lips pulled into a sensual smile. He drew closer to her, before leaning in to kiss her. She froze for a moment, before melting slowly into his kiss. She closed her eyes as he deepened the kiss, before he finally pulled away, leaving her a quivering mass, panting slightly.

"Did you enjoy that, Kagome?" She opened her eyes, and looked at him. The sensual grin was still on his face, and his eyes were half-closed. She nodded slightly, and he smiled even wider, before closing in to once more kiss her. This time, he held on to her longer, until her knees threatened to give out; she was very glad that she was sitting in a chair. He leaned over to press more of his weight on her, almost lying on the table. When he finally let her go, she could hardly breathe. She held her eyes closed to steady her breathing, and she opened them slightly only when he brushed his hand along her cheek.

"It's obvious that you enjoyed the kiss, Kagome. Do you want it to go farther?" he said, in a half-whisper.

"What?" she asked, her eyes flying open.

"You know what I mean, Kagome. Come on, stop trying to play like you have no idea what I'm thinking about. You know very well," he said, as he leaned back into his chair, his hand on her leg. She squirmed uncomfortably under him, as his hand traveled up her leg.

"You didn't come dressed like that for no reason. I know what you want, and I'm offering it to you."

"You're offering me sex?" He smirked, before saying,

"Well, of course, Kagome. What did you think I was gonna offer you, a chocolate?" She turned bright red, and knocked his hand away.

"I don't want to have sex, I want to make love to you. I love you, Naraku." At this statement, he started to laugh. Her eyes filled with tears, as he continued to laugh.

"You foolish girl. Did you really think that I asked you out because I loved you?" He continued to laugh, and her face turned a crimson-purple color, while tears flowed freely down her face. She steeled her face, and stood up, putting on her coat. He grabbed her suddenly by the arm, his laughter gone, and his face twisted, saying,

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going home, Naraku, so let me go." He smiled at her, a leer that turned his face into a living skull, and which scared her half to death.

"I don't think so, Kagome. You can't just _leave_ when you feel like it. You will leave when I give you permission." She looked at him, and tore her arm out of his grip, at the same time starting to scream.

"You bastard! How _dare_ you manhandle me like that? Do you know who I am? Do you!" She slapped him, a sound that resounded through the whole restaurant. Everyone had turned around when she had started to scream, and now they were watching avidly. Naraku rubbed his cheek, before looking at Kagome, and saying,

"Sit down, Kagome, and stop screaming. You're making a scene." Kagome stiffened, and shouted, at the top of her lungs,

"_I'm_ making a scene! Who's the one who wants to take me home because he has some sick idea that just because I went out with him that I'm immediately out of gratitude going to sleep with him! Who, Naraku, who! You, you sick motherfucker! Don't ever call me again, don't touch me again!" She walked away, leaving Naraku furious behind, and she almost ran outside. She stopped a few blocks away from the restaurant, and leaned against a brick wall. She breathed deeply, the tears still flowing down her face. She started to cry louder, until she was sure that they could hear her heart breaking back in the restaurant. She started to slide against the wall, until she was sitting up against it, not caring who saw her or not. And she remained that way for a while, until she had cried out all the tears that she had to cry.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she stood up, and decided to go home. She started walking along the street, constantly looking for a taxi. She held her head down, and didn't even notice really where she was walking. Then she suddenly noticed a pair of shoes, and looked up, only to find herself colliding with someone. She bumped her head on the other person's forehead, quite hard, and put a hand to her head, only to find herself face-to-face with Inuyasha.


	8. Chapter 7: Finding Her Heart

_Chapter 7: Finding Her Heart_

Her hand dropped to her side, as she realized that he still didn't know whom he had bumped into. She ran over to him, and said,

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think I will be, once the little birdies stop hatching from their eggs." Kagome giggled a little at his exclamation, and pulled him over to a bus stop bench.

"Here, sit down. Let me look at that bump." She pulled Inuyasha's hand away from his eyes, and she saw that one eye was swollen, as well as the area above it. He opened one eye, and when he saw her, his face faulted. He started to get up, but she grabbed him by the arm and said,

"Please, Inuyasha, don't leave. Please don't leave." He looked at her, noticing the streaks on her face, obviously from crying. He wondered why she had been crying, but then said to himself that it wouldn't even matter to her if he worried; she loved Naraku, which meant she was probably testing him to see if he was weak. He turned away, and pulled his arm out of her grip at the same time, though his heart was slowly breaking inside of him, and he couldn't explain why. He got about five steps before she started to cry, and mumbled something. He turned around, and said, in a furious tone,

"What did you just say?" She looked at him for a moment, shocked, before she screamed,

"I said that you and your uncle Naraku are exactly the same, no matter how much you claim to be different from him! It's obvious that the same blood flows in your veins!" He came back to her, and raised his hand, about to hit her, but something in her face, so defiant, begging him to hit her, held him back. He dropped his hand slowly, and her face crumpled as she once more burst into tears. She held her head in her hands, and he stood there, not knowing whether to sit or to leave. He finally sat next to her, watching her cry.

"What happened?" he asked her, shocked as much as she was that he was even asking. Something inside of him made him ask, as if his heart asked instead of his head. She looked at him through her hands, afraid to ask if he had actually asked that or not. She moved her hands away, and she said, very slowly and quietly,

"Naraku just wanted to have sex with me. That's all he ever wanted of me, and it hurt so much when I realized that. I never realized that he was such a bastard, and I can't believe that I ever loved him." Tears flowed freely down her face, and without realizing what she was doing, she buried her head in Inuyasha's shoulder, crying into it, and wrapping her arms around his waist. He stiffened at first, but she didn't even notice, and he slowly wrapped his own arms around her, shushing her slowly. He didn't even realize that his arms were wrapped around her protectively, or that he was crying himself. Kagome, however, looked up when she felt one of his tears hit her shoulder, bare as it was, her coat hanging off of her shoulders. The tears still flowed down her face, but with the tips of her fingers, she reached up and brushed the tears that fell down his cheeks away. She touched the fluid against his cheek, rubbing it between her fingertips. He looked at her as she felt the fluid between her fingers, then looked up at him, wonder and curiosity in her eyes. His eyelids fell, as he tipped her head up, and she closed her eyes ever so slightly as he closed the small gap in between them, and pressed his lips against hers. He didn't even know why he had done so, it just felt so right in the moment. He brushed his lips against hers, deepening the kiss ever so slowly.

She had died and gone to heaven. That was the only way she could possibly explain this feeling, this overwhelming feeling that was burning in her. She felt the entire world spinning around and such a weakness in her knees that she melted into Inuyasha. He in return tightened his arms around her, supporting her against him. She felt silken lips parting hers, and felt a tongue exploring her mouth, and play with hers. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and she hoped that the moment would never stop. She twined her fingers in his hair, reveling in the feel of his hair, like rough silk. She couldn't quite believe who was kissing her; Inuyasha was kissing her, and his kiss stopped time for her. She had no idea how long it lasted, but when it ended, she immediately missed the warmth of his lips like she missed breathing air. She looked up at him, eyes still half-closed, heavy with desire and passion. She realized that she was practically lying on top of him, one of his hands on her thigh, the other holding her up and against him, and she somehow found the feeling to be familiar. She felt his heart racing beneath her hand, and she knew that her heart was beating in time with his. _How is this possible? How does it _feel_ like this with him?_ She didn't dare move, for fear that she would ruin the magic of the moment. She didn't have to do anything; he did it for her.

"Kikyou…" he murmured in her ear. Her eyes immediately flew open, and she moved away. He immediately tensed, his hands holding onto her shoulders. His eyes were open, and he looked at her, a look of confusion on his face.

"I'm not Kikyou, Inuyasha." His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he had just done, and he let go of her slightly. She missed the warmth of his arms, his lips, and she didn't know why. She stood up, and moved away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. Once more the tears flowed down her face, this time of confusion and anger; confusion at the emotions that he made her feel, that she couldn't pinpoint, and anger at the fact that he only saw her as Kikyou's shadow. She moved away from him, and looked down the street to try and find a taxi.

Inuyasha, in the meantime, sat there in shock. He looked at Kagome, standing there, all alone, arms wrapped around herself, and his heart broke. He mentally kicked himself, and stood up. _You stupid idiot, you asshole, now she'll never look at you again!_ He didn't understand why that thought hurt so much, but it did, like he had driven a knife through his heart. He walked over next to her, and she hung her head. He looked at her, and said slowly,

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to do that to you." She held back the tears, though her voice was shaky when she said,

"I-It's ok, Inuyasha. You still love her, and I _do_ look a lot like her…" She wrapped her arms around herself, and hoped that he wouldn't notice that she was miserable because of that fact. She didn't even understand why she was miserable, why should he know that he made her miserable? He put a hand on her shoulder, and said,

"At least let me drive you home." She looked at him, and put a hand to his face. She looked him in the eyes, those liquid gold eyes, and almost gave in. She knew that if she didn't control herself she would lose herself in his eyes. She took her hand away, and regret flashed on his face for a split-second, so fast she wasn't even sure that it had been there.

"No, Inuyasha, I think I need to go home by myself. Thank you for offering, though." She turned away then, and hailed a taxi, getting into it before he could stop her. He stood on the corner, looking after her, leaving in the taxi, and he turned around. He walked over to his car, which was parked a few feet away, and got into it. He started it up, and drove himself home somehow.

Once home, he turned on the shower, stepped into it, and berated himself for being an idiot, and letting Kagome go. The memory of her face, streaked with tears, tore something deep within his soul. How did she have such a powerful effect on him? Tears started to flow down his face, and though he tried, he could not stop them. He let go a heartbroken, wrenching cry, and fell to his knees in the shower. The only thing he could not understand was if he was crying for Kikyou, the woman who he had loved more than his own life, or for Kagome, the woman who he was irresistibly drawn to, or both. The water beat down on him, but he took no notice of it, wrapping his arms around himself, letting go of all the emotions he had kept locked deep within him for so long. He eventually finished his shower, barely able to see anything through his tears and the sheets of water, somehow managed to get to his bed, throwing himself in it, and covering himself with a light sheet. He closed his eyes, and prayed for peace while he slept, even though he knew that he would probably not sleep that night, as he would once more be plagued by dreams of Kikyou, though now he knew that Kagome would be in his dreams as well.

Kagome, meanwhile, had finally gotten home, and had paid the driver with shaking hands. She went up to her apartment, and took out her key. She could barely put the key in the lock, and she finally after five minutes and many expletives opened her apartment door. She locked her door, and without even taking off her coat or her shoes, threw herself onto her couch. She turned on the TV, and flipped to a French music channel, and turned up the volume. She put her hands over her face, and lay there on the couch like that for a few moments. She finally took her hands off her face when the phone rang. She looked over at the headset on the coffee table, and she decided to pick it up after the fifth ring.

"Hello?"

"Kagome, are you ok? Do you know how many times I've called you on your cell phone! Naraku didn't do anything to you, did he?" Sango screamed over the phone, worry in her voice. Kagome sighed audibly, feeling tears threaten once more, and said, in a quiet tone,

"No, Sango, he didn't have the _chance_ to do anything, cause I di-"

"Ah-HA! I knew it! I knew that he would try something! What did he do to you, Kagome? What did he do?"

"Nothing, Sango. All I can say is that you were right, and I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you when you said not to go out with him." Her voice was shaky with repressed tears, though she couldn't understand why; more than anything, she didn't understand for _whom_.

"Kagome, you sound like he really hurt you. I'm sorry if he did. What exactly did that bastard tell you, or do to you?"

"Sango, nothing really important. He was just being himself."

"Then why do you sound like you're about to cry?" Kagome felt the tears fall down her face once more, uncontrollably, when she thought about Inuyasha. She covered her face with one hand, and didn't answer her friend.

"Kagome, are you crying? Well, are you?" Sango got as a response a whimper, and a sniffle.

"Kagome, unlock your door, I'll be there in ten minutes!" Kagome hung up the phone, and took off her shoes first. No need for Sango to see her sitting on her couch still in her shoes and coat. She took off her coat, and hung it up in the closet. The shoes she left by the couch where she had taken them off and she went into the bathroom, where she cleaned off the makeup, or what was left of it. She also cleaned herself up as much as possible, and went into her room, where she took off her outfit and threw both shirt and skirt on the floor in a fit of disgust. _I'm gonna burn that outfit tomorrow!_ She put on her favorite tank top and sweatpants, went to her front door, unlocked it, and sat in the living room, waiting for Sango.

She soon heard the doorbell ring, and screamed,

"It's open!" She heard the door open, and then close. She then saw a ruffled Sango enter the living room, and she crumpled once more in the arms of her friend. Sango held on to Kagome, as she let out tortured scream after tortured scream, the tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"Kagome, by the Gods, what happened?" Sango was seriously worried; she had _never_ seen Kagome like this. She bristled internally; if Naraku had done this to her, she would have his head on a platter! _No, not his head, it'll be better if I cut off something he uses more often!_ Kagome lifted her head finally, and controlled her voice enough to say,

"All he wanted was sex, Sango." Sango rolled her eyes, before she said angrily,

"Well, what did you expect? That he would drop on his knees and proclaim his love for you that he's secretly been harboring all these years? Come on, Kagome, we're not in the fifth grade anymore." Kagome glared at Sango through her tears, before saying,

"Well, I didn't expect _that_, but I thought he would at least be _decent_. But that doesn't really matter, it's what happened afterwards…" Sango looked at her confusedly; what happened afterwards!

"I bumped into Inuyasha again." Oh. So _that_ had happened.

"Well, what happened with him?"

"I don't quite understand myself. I just bumped into him, and we sat and had a conversation, an _actual_ conversation, and then… then… h-he kissed me." Sango's eyes bulged at her statement; Inuyasha had _kissed _Kagome? Oh, this was getting more and more interesting every day.

"Sango, it was better than any kiss that I have ever had in my life, even better than Naraku's. Inuyasha did something to me; I don't even know what it was. He kissed me, the most passionate, emotional kiss I have ever had, and then he called me Kikyou." Her voice trailed off, and she felt the tears rise up in her eyes. She was sure that tomorrow her eyes would be red and puffy, with little baggies under her eyes. She smiled at herself, and looked at Sango.

"Kagome, my friend, I have some bad news to tell you."

"What, what bad news?"

"I do believe that you have just fallen in love with Inuyasha, if you weren't already in love with him before." Sango sat there for a moment, expecting Kagome to burst out laughing and say that she was insane, but instead she just smiled sadly at her friend.

"I'm really tired, Sango, so if you want to sleep over, you know where the guest bedroom is. Right now, I'm gonna fall over, so I'm gonna go shower really quickly, and then I'm going to bed. Please, Sango, just let me go to bed," she said, lifting a hand up at Sango, who had barely opened her mouth, intending to say something. Kagome left the living room, and went into the bathroom, running a hot bath, while Sango shook her head, went and locked the front door, and went to the guest bedroom, where she got ready for bed. She almost immediately lay on the bed, and fell asleep. Kagome finished her bath after a half-hour, and got out, feeling refreshed. She dressed for bed, and fell into her bed. She covered herself with a light sheet, and immediately fell asleep, dreaming about Inuyasha and his kiss.


	9. Chapter 8: The Plan

_Chapter 8: The Plan _

She woke up, her head pounding, and she rolled over, groaning, to look at her clock through sleepy eyes. Her eyes flew open when she saw that it was already past two. She let out a squeak, and jumped out of bed. She almost ran into her closet, throwing everything around to find something to wear. She found a suit, threw it on, and went into the bathroom, brushing her teeth at lightning speed. She found some shoes, and, in mid-run, put them on. She was about to unlock her door and leave, when she suddenly heard Sango singing in the kitchen. She ran into the kitchen, and stood there, glaring at Sango, hands on her hips. Sango was cooking, her back turned to Kagome. She turned around, and her voice died in her throat at seeing Kagome, looking pissed enough to strangle her. She lifted her hands up, and said,

"Now, Kagome, don't get mad, but-" Kagome approached Sango, steam practically coming out of her ears.

"Mad? Why would I get mad?"

"Well, I know that you don't like when anyone cooks with your stuff, but I was just so hungry I-"

"So you couldn't wake me up? Do you realize how late I am? No, I'm not mad at you at all, and the fact that I'm more than _five_ hours late for work has nothi-"

"Kagome, what the hell are you talking about?" said Sango in a confused voice. Kagome stopped, and now she looked confused.

"What do you mean, what am I talking about? It's Saturday, isn't it?" Sango looked at Kagome like she had hit her head really hard, before she said, very slowly,

"No, Kagome, today is Sunday, and yesterday you had a free day anyway. You and I went shopping, and then you met up with Naraku, and then you saw Inuyasha." Kagome groaned, and slapped a hand to her forehead. She moved over to a chair, and sat down in it. She kicked off her shoes, and looked at Sango, her hand still on her forehead.

"Sango, how's about you make me a cup of coffee?" Sango flashed Kagome a grin, and said,

"Of course, Madame, right away." Kagome giggled as Sango sauntered over to the countertop, and took out the coffeepot and a mug. She walked over to the table, and put the mug on it, and held the coffeepot, pouring out the coffee.

"Today, Madame, we have vanilla and hazelnut coffee, well-roasted with full body, for your coffee-tasting pleasure. We do so hope that you enjoy, and if you need sugar, it's right here next to your mug." Kagome giggled and smiled at her friend, who smiled back, and handed Kagome the sugar before turning back to the countertop. She picked up her own mug, and sipped at the coffee, before turning back to her cooking. Kagome put in a few spoons of sugar, stirred, and sipped at the liquid. She let out a sigh, and then unbuttoned her suit jacket. Her head was still pounding, and she realized that probably because of that she had mixed up what day it was. Sango continued with her singing, while Kagome slowly got lost in her thoughts. She frowned to herself, remembering last night's date with Naraku. She snorted to herself; she couldn't believe that she had ever loved him. Then her eyes shimmered with tears as she remembered what happened between her and Inuyasha. The image of his face after the kiss, she had never seen so much passion and rapture in a face at once. The feeling of his arms around her was burned into her flesh; she closed her eyes to steady her breathing, and took a deep breath. She shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself, before opening her eyes and seeing Sango's face about five inches from hers. Kagome blinked, and screamed, before falling off her chair on her behind. Sango looked at her as she picked herself up off the floor, muttering several expletives, and said,

"Kagome, are you cold? Or are you thinking about Inuyasha, and that's why you drifted off." Kagome sat in the chair, and huffed at Sango,

"No, of course not, I'm cold, that's all." She stood up, and turned to the regulator to turn up the heat, more to avoid Sango's looks than because she was really cold. She turned the thermometer up to 95 degrees, and left the kitchen, going towards her bedroom. On her way to the bedroom, she picked up a remote that sat on the table in the living room, and turned on her stereo. She changed the CDs to an Italian singer, Nek, and turned the volume up. In her bedroom, she opened her walk-in closet and looked at the pile of clothes on the floor. She stooped, started to pick up the clothes, and put them away. She eventually picked out a pair of jeans and a spaghetti top to wear, and changed into them, hanging the suit up. She stepped out of the closet, and closed the doors. She went back into the kitchen, where Sango had set out plates and the food she had cooked. She smiled at Sango, who smiled back, and sat down before a plate. Kagome sat across from her, and poured out what was in the pot. She was shocked when she saw spaghetti, perfectly cooked, mixed in a sauce. She poked at the spaghetti gingerly, picking up a few strands, and put them in her mouth. Sango looked on, and started laughing when Kagome started gobbling the food. Sango sat and dug in herself, and within ten minutes the two friends were done, pushing their plates away from themselves.

"Wow, Sango, when did you become such a good cook? The last time I had such good pasta I was in Italy," Kagome sighed to her friend. Sango smiled at her, and leaned back in her chair. _No need to tell her that I only heated up what I bought at Alberto's today…_

"What can I say? People do change, Kagome." Kagome laughed, and stood up, picking up the plates. She put them in the sink and then, taking her still-unfinished coffee, went into the living room, where Nek was still blaring from the speakers. She turned down the volume on the stereo, and turned on the TV. Sango followed Kagome to the living room, and the two friends sat on the couch together. Kagome flipped channels, and finally landed on an English news channel.

"Kagome, why do you insist on watching all these foreign channels? I mean, you are back in Japan, and you really don't need Italian, or French, or Spanish, or any other language, other than English. Besides, I hate the English news channels; they're always full of boring stuff. They love to dramatize…"

"Sango, I keep them all alive because I love all those languages. Plus, Grandfather would probably have a heart attack if I forgot any of those languages; he would say that all that money was wasted on a good-for-nothing girl." Kagome smiled bitterly at her friend, and Sango turned her head back to the news; she knew how much it hurt Kagome that her grandfather was such a chauvinistic bastard, though she would never admit it. Sango sat and watched the news channel, slowly drifting off into space. She looked around her, while Kagome was glued to the set. Sango looked at her, and noticed that she was smiling slightly, looking at the TV. She was shocked to see that Kagome had changed the channel, and the local TV station was showing a picture of Naraku and his family. She honed in on the TV, to better hear what the newscaster was saying.

"… And in other news, politician Naraku Hakechi has said that the opposing party will not be allowed to push through the new law concerning…" Sango stopped paying attention to the news, and stood up. She walked over to the stereo, and turned it off completely. She then walked over to where she had left her purse, and took out her cell phone, dialing Miroku. She knew that he would be worried sick where she was, even though she had told him that she was going to be at Kagome's. _Sometimes, that man is more trouble than he's worth_. Sango smiled to herself; it may have been true, but she loved him just as much as he loved her.

"Hello?"

"Miroku, it's me."

"Sango, is everything ok? Is Kagome alright?"

"She's fine. But listen, I need a favor from you."

"Name it."

"I need you to come and pick me and Kagome up."

"What for?"

"She needs company, and we are her best friends. Bring along Shippou, too."

"Alright, darling, whatever you say. Anything, or anyone, else I should bring along?" Sango smiled, and said,

"Yes, there is. Bring along Inuyasha as well."

Kagome, meanwhile, sat glued to the TV, and barely acknowledged that Sango had left. She heard her in the background making a phone call to Miroku, but she could have cared less. Naraku was on the news, but it wasn't Naraku that had caught her attention. They had shown a picture of him and his family, and she was somehow more interested in Inuyasha. His eyes, even on the TV, seared straight through to her soul, and made her heart pound faster. _It's like he's looking straight at me, and only me_. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes once more, only to open them, and find Sango next to her. She looked up at her friend, who smiled widely at her. Kagome shrank back into the couch; _I know what _that_ look is for_.

"Kagome, how about you and I go take a little walk?" Kagome looked up at Sango, and squeaked out,

"Walk? Walk where?" Sango smiled at her, and stood up. She went into Kagome's closet, and started looking through her clothes. _Gotta find her something extra sexy, but not slutty_. She looked through the shirts, skirts, pants, suits, and dresses, finally coming upon a pair of jeans, and an asymmetric foam-green tunic. She smiled to herself as she lifted the two articles off of their hangers, and put them on Kagome's bed. She then picked out a pair of platform sandals, the leather straps the same foam-green color. _Perfect_!

"Oooh, Kagomeeeee! Come here for a minute!" Kagome shuffled into the room, looking for all the world like a rabbit caught in the open by a fox.

"What do you want, Sango?"

"I want you to put this on for our little walk," she said, smiling mischievously. Kagome looked at the clothes, looked at Sango, and said, in a small voice,

"Sango, where exactly are you taking me? Or, better yet, _who_ are you taking me to see?"

"Now, now, Miroku's coming in a little while, so put this on, go brush your teeth, and put on your makeup. Go on, go on." She patted Kagome on the shoulder, forcing her into the bathroom, where she showered quickly, and put the outfit on. She put on her makeup, and exited the bathroom, where she saw Sango and Miroku waiting for her in the living room.

"Come on, Kagome, we brought some guests for you to see as well." Kagome grabbed her purse, and her cell phone, and went with them. She locked the door, and turned towards the elevator. _Who the hell are the guests_?

They entered the elevator, and Miroku pressed the button for the garage. Sango melted into Miroku's arms, while Kagome stood ramrod-straight against the elevator wall, nervous about who they had called. They reached the garage, and the door opened. Sango and Miroku left first, then Kagome. Sango pushed her towards the car, where a tall red-haired youth was waiting. He turned around, and Kagome's breath caught as she recognized her cousin.

"Shippou!" Kagome ran towards the redhead, who looked at her, a smile lighting up his entire face. He caught Kagome in his arms as she barreled straight into him, and he said, in a playful voice,

"I missed you too, Kagome. It's not every day that I get to see my favorite cousin." He kissed her cheek, and she kissed him back, hugging him tightly. They let go, and Kagome turned to her two friends, and said,

"So, where are we going?" Miroku, Sango and Shippou looked at each other, before Shippou looked at Kagome, with a mischievous grin, and said,

"Well, we're gonna go for a walk in the park, Kagome. And then, we're gonna go get something to eat." Kagome looked at him, before saying,

"What exactly do you have up your sleeve, Kitsune?" Kitsune was Shippou's nickname since childhood; he was as mischievous as the foxes that carried the name. Shippou only smiled at her, and said,

"Come on, let's go, and no more questions." He pushed Kagome into the Mercedes, and she, though not without protest, entered. Miroku and Sango also entered, and Miroku turned on the car. Kagome drifted off as Miroku drove, staring out the window. She found herself drifting off, thinking about Inuyasha once more. She closed her eyes, putting her forehead against the window, and imagined his eyes. The look he had given her was burned in her mind, and the feel of his lips would forever be engraved on hers. She didn't even realize that she smiled slightly in the car, or that everyone was looking at her. Sango looked at Miroku, who smiled at her, while Shippou looked at Kagome, then looked at Sango and Miroku. They both smiled back at him, and Shippou turned back to Kagome. He finally shook her shoulder, and she opened her eyes, looking up at him, confused. He smiled at her, and leaned back.

After a while, Kagome noticed that Miroku was slowing down, circling around one of her favorite parks. He parked the car in the parking lot, and turned it off. Sango, Miroku and Shippou all started getting out of the car, while Kagome sat for a little bit more, lost in her thoughts. Shippou knocked on the window, and Kagome jumped, startled out of her thoughts. Shippou opened the door, and Kagome stepped out, the slight breeze whipping her hair around. She looked around, and then looked at her friends.

"So, what are we gonna do? You guys want to go to the sand garden, or to the botanical garden, or just walk around?" Shippou looked at her, and put an arm around her shoulder. He smiled once more, and she said, in a cautious tone,

"Ok, Kitsune, what have you got up your sleeve? The three of you dragged me out here, now what? I _know_ you have something planned. What is it?"

"Now, now, Kagome, we don't have anything planned, other than a nice walk in the park." Shippou put his arm in Kagome's, Sango in Miroku's, and the four of them walked off. Kagome walked through the park, not even noticing that Shippou was steering her toward the bridge over the little stream. Shippou stopped, and Kagome looked up at him, startled.

"Why did you stop, Shippou?" He smiled at her, and said,

"Because we're here."

"Where is here?"

"Well, here, to meet the fifth member of our party." Kagome looked at him, her face showing her confusion. Shippou smiled at her once more, and said,

"There he is." Kagome turned around, and her face blanched at seeing a man in a suit, long hair reaching to his waist. He turned around, and she was frozen, losing herself in liquid gold eyes.


	10. Chapter 9: Revealing

_Chapter 9: Revealing_

Kagome looked at Inuyasha as he approached, and he stopped right in front of her. He turned to Miroku, and said,

"Hello, Miroku. It was nice of you to invite me on your walk. Shippou, how are things on the home front?" He smiled mischievously at Shippou, who only smiled back. Sango looked at Inuyasha, and said,

"Well, I'm glad that you wanted to come. Come on, Miroku, Shippou, it's time for us to go. I'm sure that Kagome and Inuyasha have a lot to talk about." She caught both Miroku and Shippou by the arms, and pulled them away. Kagome turned to Sango, starting to splutter something, and Sango said,

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

"Y-you c-can't leave me here, by myself!" Inuyasha smiled, and crossed his arms over his chest, while Sango said,

"I'm not leaving you alone. I'm leaving you with Inuyasha, and that's final, Kagome." She walked away with Miroku and Shippou, leaving her with Inuyasha at her back. He took a step closer to her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"How about you and I go take a walk, Kagome?" Kagome closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath, and turned around. She looked up at Inuyasha, the slight breeze brushing her hair against Inuyasha's face. She watched as he closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair. She felt him shiver a little, and he opened his eyes, smiling at her. She smiled back at him, the tears gathering in her eyes, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. They walked through the trees, enjoying in each other's company. They were both smiling, and looking at each other shyly, so that many people who passed commented on what a sweet couple they were. Inuyasha finally sat with Kagome on a park bench, and turned towards her. She looked up at him, a curious look in her eyes. He brushed a strand of her hair away, and leaned towards her, kissing her on the cheek first. He pulled away slightly, and looked her in the eyes. He saw the look of disappointment in her eyes when he only kissed her cheek, and he smiled at her, before leaning in to seal his lips to hers. She closed her eyes, feeling the heady rush of his kiss once more. Silken lips brushed hers once more, and she melted into him, her arms coming up around his neck, while he slipped one arm around her waist, the other cradled her neck, pulling her closer to him. She once more felt like she had gone to heaven, as Inuyasha pulled her even closer to himself, almost crushing her against his chest, not that she was complaining. He finally let go, and he looked at her; her eyes were closed, black lashes a perfect contrast to her cream-white skin, while her lips were pink and looked even more tempting than before. He brushed a hand against her cheek, and she opened her eyes slowly.

"Kagome, you and I need to talk. To really _talk_." Kagome looked at Inuyasha, before she put her hand over his, and said,

"Then, let's talk." Inuyasha sighed, and put his hand down. He hung his head slightly, his hands in his lap, before Kagome took both of his hands in hers, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Please, Inuyasha, tell me what you need to." He sighed once more, before looking her in the eyes, tears forming in his eyes. He didn't know how to tell her, but he had to somehow.

"Kagome, I have to tell you why things are the way they are." She frowned at him, before saying,

"What do you mean, the way they are?"

"I mean, why you and I can never be together." Those words reverberated in her ears. She was in complete shock, and she stood up after a moment, her arms wrapped around herself. She put a hand to her mouth, before she said,

"So, what the hell was all this about?" Inuyasha sighed, and said,

"Kagome, I don't know myself. It's just… it's like I'm drawn to you with a magnet. Everywhere I go, you're there as well. But I just… can't be with you. You stir up too many memories, and I'm still not ready to face them. I don't think I ever will be." She whirled around on her heel to face him, before she said furiously,

"It's because of what I told you at Miroku and Sango's anniversary party, isn't it? The fact that I loved, or thought that I loved, Naraku was enough to push you away. All you wanted to do was play with me?" Inuyasha stood up, and cupped Kagome's face in his hands, before saying,

"No, I never wanted to play with you. I'm not Naraku. And my decision has nothing to do with what you told me at the party."

"Then is it because I look like your dead girlfriend?" she asked, her voice scathing. She immediately regretted saying this as Inuyasha's face changed from being worried about her, to a deathly white color, and his face faulted. He pulled away from Kagome, his hands shaking as he moved. He moved a few steps away from Kagome, turning his back on her, and he said, in a shaky voice,

"How do you know about Kikyou?"

"Inuyasha, I'm so sor-" He turned around, fury showing in his face, and he screamed,

"I asked you how do you know about Kikyou!" Kagome cowered before him, and crossed her arms across her chest, and said, in a quiet voice,

"Sango told me about her." Inuyasha stood there for a moment, looking for all the world as if he would hit Kagome, before he turned on his heel, and walked away. Kagome looked after him for a short while, then finally, with the tears forming rivers down her cheeks, she whispered,

"Inuyasha, wait." Then, in a louder voice,

"Inuyasha, wait! Stop! Please stop!" She ran after him, and Inuyasha, more than 50 feet away, turned his head only slightly, barely acknowledging that she was calling him, before he was assaulted by Kagome, throwing herself on him, her arms around his waist. He turned around, trying to push her off, but she held onto him so tightly, like a drowning man would a life preserver. He finally stopped trying to push her away, and wrapped his arms around her tightly, leaning his head in to breathe in the scent of her hair. She cried into his chest, and he held onto her even tighter, realizing that she had indeed become a part of his life, whether he wanted that or not. Not just a part of his life, but an extremely important part, and he knew that no matter what happened between the two of them, he would forever be in need of her presence.

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. I just-I asked Sango why you hated me so much after that little thing at the mall, and she just told me. I-I never meant to hurt you," she said, in a quiet voice. Inuyasha sighed, and kissed Kagome on the forehead, before tilting her head up so that he looked her directly in the eyes. His eyes searched hers, and for the slightest moment, he saw a fleeting emotion hidden in her eyes, something that warmed his soul to the very core. He smiled at her, and said,

"Kagome, you shouldn't be apologizing to me. It is I that should be doing the apologizing. I acted like a complete ass towards you, and I am truly sorry." She looked at him, in shock that the cold Inuyasha was apologizing to _her_. She leaned in closer to him, and stopped when their lips were just barely touching, his silken ones brushing hers. He looked at her, so close to him and he felt his heart beat faster.

"Kagome…" he whispered, and she put an arm around his neck. She felt her face flush under his gaze, the hunger in his eyes obvious. He could no longer take looking at her like that, her hair blowing a few stray strands into her face, the way her eyes were looking at him, the way her body was positioned, the way she smelled. It was starting to drive him insane, and he closed the small space between them, covering her mouth with his. He poured all of his emotions into the kiss, and she tightened her grip on him, as he ravaged her with emotions so long hidden he hardly knew they existed anymore. She felt her legs giving out, and he put an arm around her waist, leaning his body into hers as she fell slightly. He held her up against himself, as he deepened the kiss even more, taking both his own and her breath away. She could no longer feel anything but him, and she couldn't tell anymore where he ended and she began; in her mind they had become one person. A tear escaped from her eye, tracing its way down her cheek, at which he let her go, but only slightly. They both took in a rasping breath, their hearts racing in time. Inuyasha still held her bent over, and his lidded eyes stared into hers, before taking in her appearance. The rosy lips, still so full and tempting, the eyes heated with desire, the burning cheeks. She felt him shaking, and realized that she was as well.

"Inuyasha…" He closed his eyes, and pressed his lips against hers, their foreheads touching as well, and he murmured something. She opened her eyes completely, and pulled away from him, straightening up, forcing him to let go of her. He pulled away from her as well, though he kept his hands on her waist.

"What is it, Kikyou?" She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and then he realized what he had done. Kikyou had been dead for years; this was Kagome, _his_ Kagome. His? Did he really deserve to call her his? He was confused, and Kagome saw that, pulling away from him completely. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing as she said,

"You were right, Inuyasha. You and I can never be together, and now I truly see why. I guess a part of me was still hoping that you would be able to see me, Kagome Takechi-Higurashi, and not Kikyou. It's obvious that you still can't get over Kikyou, and that in me you see her. Until you resolve the problems that you have with her, I don't think you will be capable of loving anyone else, especially not me." She turned around, leaving him there astounded, and walked away. He looked after her, and whispered,

"Kagome… I'm sorry…" He turned away as well, going in the opposite direction of her, even though in his heart all he wanted to do was run to her, drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness, but his pride kept him from doing that. He knew full well that she was absolutely right, and that he had no right to approach her yet, not until he resolved his problems with Kikyou, and most especially, with Naraku. Kagome, though she didn't let him know, had heard Inuyasha and was secretly smiling, even through her tears. She knew that Inuyasha, no matter how many problems he had with Kikyou, and Naraku, was falling for her, and falling hard. Not that she was any better than he was, for she knew that she was falling in love with Inuyasha as well. For now, however, she would have to wait until he was ready, and she knew that she would wait her entire lifetime, and the next one if need be, for him.


	11. Chapter 10: Discovery

_Chapter 10: Discovery_

Kagome walked back home, the entire 10 miles. It took her almost all day, but she felt better when she got home, though she knew that all her friends would be worried sick about what happened to her. She smiled to herself, as she thought about Inuyasha and his kiss. She knew that something would happen soon, and she couldn't wait for it, even though she knew it might break her heart. But then again, maybe she would get something that was better than anything she could have ever hoped for, the love of her life. She took her keys out of her purse as she approached her building, and opened the entrance door. She rang for the elevator, and waited against the wall until it arrived. She punched the button for her floor, and leaned back against the glass wall. After a few minutes, the elevator door opened, and she walked out, preparing her keys to open her door. She opened her purse to take out her cell phone, in the meantime arriving at her door. She raised her head, and promptly screamed.

"Well, that isn't _quite_ the reception I was expecting, Kagome."

"N-Naraku! What the hell are you doing here?" she asked him, clutching a hand to her heart.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He sidled up to her, and said, in a raspy voice,

"Now, now, Kagome, that was not my intention. I just wanted to come and see what you were doing."

"After that little stunt at Alberto's? You really have some balls, Naraku," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. He put an arm around her waist, and whispered into her ear,

"Now let's just forget all about that. I came to see my girlfriend, the least she can do is be a little welcoming." Kagome backed away from Naraku, a look of complete shock on her face.

"Girlfriend? Uhhh, Naraku, I think you hit your head somewhere. I am _not_ your girlfriend, nor was I, nor will I ever be. You showed me why I shouldn't at Alberto's." He looked at her, and said, in an iron voice,

"You are _my _girlfriend, and you _will_ show me the proper respect that I deserve. Now, are you going to let me in or shall I invite myself in?" Kagome only looked at him, before she dropped her hands, and moved to open the door.

"That's a good girl, Kagome," Naraku said to her, a haughty smile on his face. He stood right behind her, so he didn't see the hardened look on her face, or the fact that she quickly but quietly took the key out of the lock when she unlocked the door. She turned to Naraku, and said, in the sweetest voice possible,

"Darling, would you like to come in now?" Naraku smiled at Kagome, a leer that turned his face into a living skull, and which scared her half to death, so she reacted fast. She had opened the door just a crack when she asked Naraku if he would like to come inside, and then held it open all the way for Naraku, who was about a foot away from the door. He moved one foot towards the door, and she immediately slammed it in his face, locking the door faster than she ever had in her life. Naraku, in shock at first, immediately became infuriated and started to scream.

"Kagome! Open this door, right now! Kagome! Open the door or I'll break it down!" Kagome, shaking in fear, slid down against the triple-locked door, and held her head in her hands, wondering when he would go away. Naraku pounded on the door with his fists, and she thought that he really would break down her door. She grabbed her cell phone from the floor where she had dropped it when she had shut the door, and dialed Sango.

"Kagome, where the hell are you?" she heard Sango say, her voice irritated.

"Sango, for the love of God, get over here!"

"Kagome, what's going on? Where are you!"

"Sango, please, I'm home, you have to come right now!" Kagome hung up the phone, while Naraku continued to pound on the door, yelling all sorts of things. Kagome knew that the neighbors would probably by now have called the police, and she hoped that they had, because then maybe she would finally get rid of Naraku.

She sat for what seemed to her like an eternity, before she finally heard the pounding and screaming stop, to be replaced by an indignant voice with many multiple voices saying other things. She heard the voices grow fainter and fainter, and she put her head down onto her knees, finally letting the tears go. She heard someone on the other side of the door call her name, but she ignored it at first, until it wouldn't go away.

"Kagome! Kagome, open the door! Kagome, its Sango, Miroku and Shippou!" Kagome lifted her head, and said, in a frightened voice,

"Sango?"

"Yes! Now, open the door, Kagome!" Kagome stood up, and unlocked the door. She opened it slowly, and then threw wide open when she saw Sango, throwing herself into Sango's arms. She cried openly, and started blubbering.

"Whoa, Kagome, slow down! I can't understand anything you're saying, especially when you're speaking 5 different languages!" Miroku and Shippou looked over Sango's shoulder at Kagome, and Shippou said,

"Kagome, what happened? Did someone hurt you?" Kagome looked at all three of them, and said,

"I'm sorry, but I was just so scared!"

"Kagome, for God's sake, _what happened?_" said Sango, her face lined with worry. Kagome was shaking all over, and her face was white with fear. She hung her head, and said, in a small voice,

"Naraku was here." There was an all-around exclamation of "Oh" and everyone looked at Kagome, wondering what she would say next.

"H-he was just here, he was waiting for me, he wanted to come inside, and I just slammed the door on him, and he just started _pounding_ on the door, and yelling, and I was so scared…" She stopped, wrapping her arms around herself, while her three friends looked at her in shock. Kagome, standing there for a moment wrapped in her own world of loneliness, didn't at first see the reactions upon her friends' faces.

"That fucking idiot, I'm gonna _kill_ him when I see him!"

"The bastard, I can't believe he's that fucked in the head!"

"I knew it, Kagome, I knew he was an asshole!" Sango, Miroku, and Shippou exploded all at once, and Kagome, not expecting any reaction from them at that moment, almost jumped out of her own skin. She looked at them, Sango's, Miroku's and Shippou's faces twisted in rage. Shippou started stomping up and down the hallway, yelling all sorts of expletives, while Sango held Kagome, and Miroku stood there, murmuring to himself. Kagome threw herself into Sango's hug, crying onto her shoulder, while Miroku stood there, still muttering to himself, and Shippou continued to walk around, muttering expletives in Japanese, English, French, Italian and Russian. Nobody noticed a man walk into the hallway, shock written all over his face. He looked at the scene in front of him, and completely sidestepped Shippou without him even noticing that he was there. He approached Kagome's open door, and she instinctually lifted her head up. The look on her face changed from terror and fear, to a look of delight and pleasant surprise.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered. Sango, Miroku and Shippou all stopped whatever they were doing, and turned to face him. Inuyasha stopped noticing everyone else when he saw Kagome's tear-streaked face, and ran up to her, cupping her face in his hands. He pressed her forehead to his, looking her directly in the eyes, and said,

"Kagome! What happened? Why are you crying?" Sango, Miroku and Shippou moved away, letting the two of them talk, though they stayed close by. Kagome's face crumpled, and she melted into Inuyasha's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Inuyasha, it was so horrible! Naraku was here, and it was just so horrible! I thought he was gonna break the door down, and just beat the _shit_ out of me!" Inuyasha's face distorted, and he looked at Kagome, his face black with rage.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him, Kagome. Then, he'll never hurt you again," he said, his voice trembling with rage. He started to let her go, and she, panicking, held on to him harder, and said,

"No! Inuyasha, please don't! Just let him be!" He looked at her, and said,

"Why? Why shouldn't I go kick his ass? I've had enough of his bullshit!"

"Please, Inuyasha, don't leave me. Please, not tonight." Sango, Miroku and Shippou, up until now had been standing nearby, not reacting at all, though they were still furious. At this statement, Sango turned to Miroku and Shippou, and motioned to them that it was time for them to leave. They both nodded their heads, and followed Sango out of the building. Once outside, Sango looked to Miroku and Shippou and said,

"Let the two of them be. I think the both of them have realized what they mean to each other. It is not our time to sit and talk to her right now. It's Inuyasha's turn to talk with her, and I don't believe that she will be needing us for that talk." Miroku and Shippou both looked at her, and Shippou said, in a mischievous voice,

"Yes, I do believe that I do _not_ want to be present at this little talk of theirs. I _really _don't think that they need us present for this 'talk'." A smile spread on his face from ear to ear, and on Sango's and Miroku's as well when they realized what he had just said. The three of them sat in the car and drove away, each one thinking what would happen. Sango smiled, and put her hand over Miroku's, while Miroku looked at her, a silly smile on his face. Shippou looked out the window, his eyes closed, and muttered a prayer to the gods that Kagome would be brave enough to do what she wanted so badly to do, and that Inuyasha wouldn't be stupid enough to turn Kagome down.

Meanwhile, back at Kagome's apartment, Inuyasha looked at Kagome, his eyes burning with desire, but also with doubt. Kagome looked at him, her eyes telling him that she wanted, no, _needed_ him to stay with her. He put his hands up to her face again, cupping it, and ran his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away the remaining tears. He pulled her face closer to his, looking straight into her eyes, as if asking her permission. She nodded her head ever so slightly, her cheeks flushed and heated. He lowered his lips to hers, and took her lips in the most passionate kiss she had ever had in her life, as he poured all his emotions into the kiss. Kagome, closing her eyes, put her arms around his neck and tightened them. Inuyasha's hands traveled from her face, to her back, pressing her against him. They could no longer feel anything but each other's bodies, but neither could tell anymore where one began and the other ended. Kagome moved slowly towards her door, pulling Inuyasha with her, and, upon seeing that he made no protest, pulled him into her apartment. The both of them were lost in each other, but Inuyasha broke off the kiss when Kagome shut the door with her foot. He pulled away from her, and looked her, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He cupped her face with his hands, and said, in a voice heavy with desire,

"Kagome, are you sure about this? You do realize that there is no going back after this." Kagome looked at him, losing herself in his eyes, and for an answer kissed him. Inuyasha kissed her back, before picking her up in his arms, and carrying her into the bedroom, while still kissing her. He laid her down on the bed, and lay down next to her. She put her arms around his neck, and he slid his fingers along the length of her arms, making her shiver. He pulled her up to him suddenly, and pushed his hands down under her shirt, while she entwined her fingers in his hair. He pushed her shirt up off of her, throwing it to the ground. He kissed her neck, and she closed her eyes, her fingers pulling slightly on his hair. He stopped, and she opened her eyes, confronted with his eyes, which had turned a dark gold from desire. He kissed her, and she slowly took off his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to the ground. He put a hand behind her head, while the other one worked on her bra. He finally took it off, and slipped it off of her, also throwing it to the ground. She felt his chest muscles move with every movement that he made, and she felt his heart racing. She wondered how long it had been since he had been with a woman; she knew that it must have been a long time. He also wondered how long it had been since Kagome had been with a man, though he wouldn't ask her; the thought of some other man touching her drove him insane with jealousy. He worked his hands down her chest to her pants, feeling her shiver when he got to the zipper. He smiled, even though she couldn't see it, and he kissed her, his hands unzipping her pants. She helped him pull them off, his hands glided over her perfectly molded thighs, and he wondered how he had ever lived without her beauty to fulfill his life. She was the light in his dark life, the sun in his night. He marveled at how lucky he was to have met her, and thanked everything that was holy to him for bringing Kagome to him. She worked on unzipping his pants, and finally, after several tries with shaky hands, managed it. She slid them off, and he lay her on her back, on top of her, still kissing her. He managed to get her underwear off, though not without ripping them, and then he entered her. She let out a slight gasp as he entered her, and the two of them started to move in a rhythm that was so ancient and yet so new to the both of them. She screamed his name as the pace grew faster, and he grunted hers into her hair. The both of them screamed out in ecstasy as they reached the peak, and then he fell onto her, completely spent. After a few moments, he rolled off of her, breathing irregularly, and she put her head onto his chest. He stroked her hair, and she smiled to herself. She drifted off to sleep, and so did not hear him whisper,

"I love you, Kagome."


	12. Chapter 11: Trouble

_Chapter 11: Trouble_

The next day, Kagome woke up, the sunbeams filtering through the window falling lightly onto her face. She looked over at Inuyasha, and smiled. His fingers were still entwined in her hair, and she had an arm over his chest, and one leg over his. She carefully removed his fingers, then moved her leg off of his. He sighed, and rolled over onto his side. She smiled at him, and bent over, kissing him lightly on the cheek. She got up, and went into the bathroom, closing the door quietly. She turned on the shower, and stepped in, the steaming water hitting her back. She reveled in the feel of the almost scalding water for a few minutes, before she soaped up and washed off. She finished and stepped out, dressing in a shirt and jeans. She opened the door, and saw that Inuyasha was still asleep. She smiled at him, and then moved into the kitchen, planning on making breakfast.

Inuyasha woke up about fifteen minutes later, the smell of bacon cooking wafting through the whole apartment. He sat up in bed, and looked around, his eyes finally alighting on what he was looking for, his underwear. He turned to put them on, but then second guessed it, and walked into the kitchen, to find Kagome at the stove, her back to him. She had turned on the small radio in the kitchen, and was listening to some foreign music, by the sound of it English. He padded up to her, and put an arm around her waist.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was startled, and almost dropped the pan she was holding. Inuyasha smiled into her hair, and breathed in deeply the scent of her hair, the smell of vanilla and roses, before saying, in a husky voice,

"Hello, Kagome. What a lovely surprise to wake up to. Though, I liked last night just as much…" His smile widened as she blushed slightly, before she turned to face him. Her eyes went wide at seeing Inuyasha in all his natural glory, just standing there as if it was nothing unusual. She hastily turned around, and Inuyasha snickered, before saying in a mischievous voice,

"Whatsa matter, Ka-go-me? You don't like what you see? It didn't seem to bother you last night." Kagome turned a bright beet red, before she turned around to Inuyasha, her head lowered, and said,

"Uh, no, umm- i-it's not that, a-at all, I swear." She turned back around to her cooking, turning the stove off, and taking the pan off. He looked at her, and couldn't help but feel both a little amused and hurt at her reaction. Last night she had been a beast in bed, and now she was as shy as a little girl; it was as if she had never seen a man naked before! Inuyasha knew that she wasn't a virgin, and her behavior was a little ridiculous, so he decided to do something about it. He grabbed her by her shoulders, and turned her gently but forcefully around. He put a hand under her chin, and said, in a quiet voice,

"Kagome, look at me." She shook her head slightly, and he felt warm water hit his hand. He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes, those big, green eyes, full of tears, and said,

"Kagome, what are you so ashamed of? Are you ashamed of me, of what happened last night? If that's it, just tell me, please, because I can't just-"

"Inuyasha, you don't understand. You _can't _understand, you didn't grow up the way I did," she said, as she tore herself away from him, wiping her tears away. _Gods, why did I just say that?_

"Kagome, what the hell are you talking about?"

"You just, you _can't_ understand what it was like, ok, so just leave it alone!" Inuyasha's patience was running out, and he hated when people talked in riddles, especially people that he cared about. His brows furrowed together, before he said,

"Kagome, if you can't tell me what bothers you so much about seeing me here naked, when you saw all of me naked last night, I'm gonna pack my stuff and leave. I don't like mind games." He waited a few minutes, expecting her every minute to turn around, throw herself into his arms and explain everything, but every second that passed that hope was growing dimmer and dimmer. He finally turned around, entering the bedroom, and got dressed quickly. He was furious; is this what she wanted from him, to just fuck him? She could have told him that, it would have been easier on him; at least he wouldn't have fallen even harder for her even faster than he already had been. He checked to make sure that he had everything before he turned towards the door, where he stopped, and turned to her.

"Kagome, if all you wanted was a good fuck, you could have told me so. If this is how you treat all the men that care about you, its no wonder that you're still alone," he said, in a furious voice.

"You could have at least told me so that I wouldn't open my heart to you," he added in a whisper, as he opened the door, and stepped out. He closed the door, and leaned against it, breathing in deeply, fighting back the tears. He stood there for a second, before he moved down the hallway to the elevator, punching the button to call the elevator. He took out his cell phone, and called a taxi to come and pick him up. Once outside, he waited a few minutes before the taxi came, and finally entered it, going home. On the ride home, he thought about Kagome, and her reaction, and resolved to speak to someone who knew her, to find out why she was acting the way she was.

Kagome, meanwhile, stood over her counter as she listened to Inuyasha get his things and leave. The tears slid down her face ever faster and faster, before she just collapsed against the kitchen cabinets, crying her heart out. She didn't even understand why she had pushed him away; he was totally right when he said that he didn't understand her reasoning as to why she couldn't stand to see him naked. He was completely right when he said that she wasn't being fair to him, but what hurt her most, was that he thought she didn't care about him at all. She cried, the tears even saltier because she knew that she could have just overcome this ridiculous shame that she felt as far as seeing him naked. Why couldn't she throw all that ridiculous, chauvinistic training her grandfather had instilled in her away? Why did it haunt her to the point where she couldn't even look at the man she loved with no shame? Wait, did she just say "love"? Did she really _love_ Inuyasha? She stopped crying, thinking back upon everything that she had said or done in regards to him.

"I love him," she whispered.

"I _love_ him!!" she screamed, bursting into fresh tears as she realized that she had probably just pushed him away completely. She let out scream after scream, until her voice finally grew hoarse with all her screaming. She stopped, though the tears still flowed down her face, and she wondered how in God's name she still _had_ tears to cry, considering all she had cried within the past two months. She picked up her phone, and dialed Sango's number. After a few rings, Miroku picked up.

"Hello?"

"Miroku, its me. Is Sango there?"

"Kagome. No, she's not here," he said, his voice colder than she had ever heard it.

"Well, where did she go? It's kind of an emergency."

"Kagome, she went to go talk to Inuyasha."

"What?!!"

"He called her, and he sounded really upset."

"When the hell was this?!"

"About 3 hours ago, Kagome. She went to go meet him about 2 hours ago." Kagome, in complete shock, said nothing for a few minutes. Inuyasha was upset, and he had called Sango, why did he call Sango, of all people? Miroku angrily calling her name, almost screaming over the phone interrupted her thoughts.

"Kagome! Are you alive?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'm here Miroku. Why did he call Sango?" Miroku sighed, and wondered how he was supposed to explain this to Kagome.

"Kagome, he was really hurt when he called this morning. He wanted Sango to explain a couple of things about you, especially what is your problem with nudity."

"Miroku!!!" Kagome screeched over the phone, while Miroku cringed on the other side. There was silence for a few seconds, and Miroku, deciding that it was better to tell Kagome and hope that she fixed this problem with Inuyasha, said,

"Kagome, if you want to find Sango and Inuyasha they're at the Crystal Palace, having coffee."

"Thanks, Miroku!" She hung up the phone, and ran into her bathroom, wiping her eyes and taking everything that she had on herself off. She flung clothes on the floor, and stepped into the shower, turning on the water, and showered faster than she ever had in her life. She exited, and dressed quickly in a black and green asymmetric tunic and jeans, pulling on her black platform sandals. She looked at herself in the mirror, and quickly pulled her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head, and grabbed her purse. She grabbed her keys, and almost ran out of the apartment, locking it quickly behind her. She ran to the elevator, punched the button for the garage, and waited impatiently until it got there. As soon as it did, she ran to her car, unlocking it remotely along the way, and almost ripped the door open. She sat in the car, turning it on, and sped out of the garage, going in the direction towards the Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat with Sango, in complete shock. He couldn't believe what she had told him. Not that Sango was a psychologist, but she knew a lot about her friend, and what she knew disturbed Inuyasha.

**A/N: Sorry it took me soooooo long to get this chapter up, but I had writer's block, and since I don't like to do half-assed puny chapters, it took a looooooong time to finish. Sorry about that, but please enjoy it!**


	13. Chapter 12: Explanations

_Chapter 12 - Explanations_

_About 2 hours earlier_

Sango entered the Crystal Palace, and looked around. She spotted Inuyasha sitting at a table, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. She walked over, and sat in the chair next to him. He looked up, and said,

"Sango. Thanks for coming."

"No problem, Inuyasha. But what was so important that I had to literally run out of the house? What did Kagome do this time?" Inuyasha looked at her, and she was shocked by the sadness in his eyes. He sighed deeply, before he said,

"Sango, I don't understand her. I _know_ she has feelings for me, but it's like she's afraid of them. All I want to know is _why _is she so afraid. Have men hurt her before? Did anyone do anything to her to make her so… so…" He trailed off, at a loss to describe Kagome. He sighed once more, and hung his head a little. He was starting to think that he was the problem, that she didn't like him, or that she just wanted to use him. Terrible things ran through his mind at that moment and Sango could see that it was very difficult for Inuyasha to accept whatever Kagome had done, and before she could tell him anything, she had to know what exactly it was that Kagome had done to him. He had babbled something to her over the phone about Kagome having problems with seeing him naked, and that he had to see her immediately, but she hadn't understood everything that he had said. She put a hand on top of his, and asked, in a quiet voice,

"Inuyasha, for me to help you, and possibly tell you why Kagome is acting the way she is, you have to tell me what exactly happened. I know it's not the most comfortable thing to tell me, but you have to." Inuyasha looked Sango in the eyes, and said,

"Ok, Sango. I'll tell you every detail." And he proceeded to tell the entire story, from the moment that he entered Kagome's apartment last night, to the moment that he got home and called Sango. He left certain details out that Sango really didn't need to know, such as what exactly he and Kagome had done, but he knew that she got the basic picture. Sango had ordered a cappuccino, and had been drinking it, but she put it back down, and shook her head when Inuyasha sat back, his story finished. She blinked back the tears that were coming to her eyes, because she knew what Kagome's problem was, and it hurt her deeply that her friend couldn't overcome it. She sighed, and looked at Inuyasha, deciding to explain everything to him.

"Inuyasha, you have to understand that Kagome didn't exactly grow up in a normal family. She's an only child, and even though her parents love her, her grandfather never did." Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and he said,

"What do you mean, her grandfather never loved her?"

"Exactly what you heard, Inuyasha. Her father's father never loved her, and to this day he still doesn't. He tolerates her, but he has never loved her." Inuyasha sat back, and crossed his arms over his chest, before saying, in a haughty voice,

"And what exactly does that have to do with Kagome's behavior?" Sango sighed, before she looked at Inuyasha, and said,

"It has _everything_ to do with Kagome's behavior, absolutely everything. You see, Inuyasha, she was raised in a patriarchal family in which her grandfather literally treated her like shit beneath his feet. He taught her in the old-fashioned way, the one that she never fully accepted but has never been able to fully get over. She does not allow anyone to see her naked, even me, nor does she like seeing other people naked. It's just something that she hasn't dealt with, because her grandfather ground into her that it was shameful to see anyone naked, or to be seen naked, before marriage. Of course, there are other factors to it, one of which is the whole marriage thing, because her grandfather has been harping on her for about 6 years to get married, to the extent that he even found her suitors, which she politely but forcefully rejected. The whole marriage thing, even though it irritates her, is one of the things that she also can't get over, and it's tied into the whole nakedness thing. So you have to understand, with Kagome, you have to be _very _careful, though it does not mean that you should in any way give up on her. She just needs some time, because of all of that, so if you truly feel anything for her, Inuyasha, you will give her some time." Inuyasha sat back, in complete shock. He had heard of some families still being very strict and old-fashioned, but had never imagined that it might be the Higurashi family. Then again, he had heard stories about the old man, Kagome's grandfather; supposedly, he was one hell of a businessman that took no bullshit from anyone. It would make sense that he would be like that with family as well. Inuyasha took a sip of his tea, still thinking about what Sango had just told him. It was quite the story, and it did explain a lot of Kagome's weird quirks. He sighed, and turned to Sango, his eyes betraying all that he felt, all the worry, guilt and anger.

"Sango, you must understand, I have never heard of anyone acting like that. It just, it's well… It's plain strange, I mean, what the hell does her grandfather care what she does with her life?"

"Inuyasha, you still don't understand, do you? It's not really Kagome that her grandfather is worried about; it's the family _name_ he's worried about. I mean, Heavens forbid that Kagome should end up in newspapers or in jail or anything even remotely fantastic. Her grandfather would go ballistic, literally." She sighed, before smiling slightly at an episode she remembered. Back then, it hadn't been funny at all, but years later both Sango and Kagome laughed at it. Sango started to laugh, then started to laugh hysterically, forgetting that Inuyasha was still there.

"What's so funny?" Inuyasha asked, completely puzzled. He knew that Kagome was one weird woman, but he was coming to the conclusion that Sango wasn't any better. And Miroku, her husband, was a complete nut. What the hell have I gotten myself into? he asked himself.

"Nothing, I was just remembering the perfect example of Kagome's grandfather and his hysteric antics. I mean, at the time it was not funny at all, in fact Kagome got into a _lot _of trouble, but now when we look back, it's just hilarious." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at Sango, before she looked at him, and in a joking voice said,

"Oh, would you like me to tell the story?"

"No, Sango, I want you to just sit there and yuk it up while I sit here like a moron," he said, in a voice literally dripping with sarcasm. Sango smiled at his attitude, before she said,

"Well, it was back when we were in high school. Oh, the trouble we used to make at that school, though Kagome was always the party pooper. But one time, even she got in trouble, and it's because of that her grandfather went ballistic." Sango sighed, thinking back on the situation, and how to describe it. She giggled a little, and then said,

"Well, what happened was that we were just hanging out with some of our friends, and some of the girls had decided to go do something completely nuts. I mean, this was really nuts, sneaking off in the middle of the night to a college dorm, halfway across town, where there was this party. It was our last year of high school, and I actually talked Kagome into going with us, though she felt really uncomfortable. Well, we ended up going to the party, and Kagome was completely freaked out. I mean, she had boyfriends, very _discreet_ boyfriends, but she had never been to a party, not without the entire family being there, and her grandfather watching her every move. And here, there were all kinds of guys, most of them drunk. She didn't know how to react, at all, so she sat in a corner sipping a drink almost the whole night. And then, the worst thing is, she wanted to just leave the whole time. She kept saying how she had a bad feeling about it, and she wanted to go before anything bad happened. Of course, I talked her into staying, and so she did. And what do you think ends up happening? The party gets busted by the campus police, and Kagome was one of the few who got caught, along with myself and a few of our other friends. It was horrible when her grandfather found out, for he came down to the police station still in his pajamas, and just started screaming at her." Sango started to laugh then, until it was uncontrollable.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but you can't even imagine what this looked like! I mean, here is Kagome's grandfather, this little man in his pajamas, screaming at the top of his lungs! He looked like he was about to bust an artery or something, he was so red in the face! Kagome was so mortified that he actually found out what had happened, that she hid in the jail cell for as long as she could just to avoid him. Of course, there is no real avoiding Koichi Higurashi, and he eventually got in to see her. Oh, you could hear him screaming throughout the whole police station. It was bad enough that as soon as he had walked in the door he was screaming, but this was even worse. He was screaming at Kagome how she was such an embarrassment to the family, how she had disgraced the family name, and how was he, her grandfather, patriarch of the family, going to deflect the shame from their family? Kagome sat there, listening to him tirade on and on and on about the family name, until he finally ran out of words. She just sat there, head hung low, before she looked at him, and said,

"But, Grandfather, I didn't really do anything wrong. I mean, prancing around in your birthday suit in front of some of Japan's most eligible bachelors is nothing to shame the family with, is it?" At that point, he grew so mad, I really thought he was going to die on the spot. His face turned incredibly red, and there was this vein that was pulsing in his temple, looking like it was about to explode. Kagome and I were sitting right next to each other, and I had given her this knowing look when she finished, but she looked from her grandfather to me, shocked that she had even said something like that. She had meant it as a joke, but he didn't take it like that at all. He just exploded, and started yelling all sorts of things, in all kinds of languages. I only got bits and pieces, since he was mostly speaking in French and English, and Kagome was beyond mortified. Her face had turned this bright beet red, and she hung her head to try and hide the tears. Finally, this little old man stopped his tirade, and so suddenly that we both jerked our heads up in shock. He looked at Kagome, and said, in plain Japanese,

"Kagome Takechi-Higurashi, this is a shame to the family beyond all measure. The very fact that you dare to talk back to your elders is shame enough in itself, but you have dishonored me in front of many people. This fact cannot go unpunished, and as such, I hereby cut you off from this family. You are to have no more contact with anyone within the family, nor will you have any access to any of the family privileges, including your private bank accounts. Those assets will now be frozen, until such time that I deem you have earned them back. Now, go and call that horrible woman you call mother to bail you out of this situation, for I have finished with you." And with that, he turned on his heel, and left. Kagome had to call her mother, and beg for help to get herself out of jail. She never did anything even remotely embarrassing to the family after that, ever. That is why even to this day, Kagome cannot get over doing anything that would even remotely be considered scandalous, because at least that way she ends up protecting herself as well. She also does everything in her power to keep her grandfather happy, literally jumping through hoops if he tells her to do it. Now do you understand, Inuyasha, why you have to be so patient with her?" Inuyasha sat back, in complete shock. Not that it was anything that he had never heard of before, as most Japanese families were very traditional, but this was beyond most families. The dynamic within Kagome's family was one that wasn't typical in Japan at all anymore, and he was in a little shock. Kagome getting caught at a party at such a young age was deplorable, yes, but not to the point that her grandfather had put it. The man had acted as if Kagome had committed a capital crime! Inuyasha sighed; oh yes, now everything made much more sense. If Kagome's grandfather had reacted in such a way over her getting caught at an innocent party, what would he say if he saw her naked with a man before she got married? The old man would probably, as Sango put it, bust an artery and have a heart attack. He ran his fingers through his hair, and looked at Sango.

"Sango, I can't thank you enough for what you just told me. It actually helped to clarify many, many things about her, and now it's something that I understand will take a lot of time to help Kagome get over. But, I'm willing to try and work it out, if she is. I just hope that she is," he said, more to himself than to her. Sango smiled as she took a sip of her cappuccino, before saying,

"Inuyasha, I think that as far as she's concerned, that you don't have to worry about whether she's willing or not to work it out. I think that she is, really." Inuyasha nodded to Sango, then stood up.

"Well, it has been very insightful, Sango, but now I really have to go. I have a girl to go apologize to, and hopefully work a couple of things out with." He bowed to Sango, who bowed back, and he turned around. He picked his coat up from the chair, and put it on. He made sure he had everything he needed, before he turned and started to walk towards the door. He was envisioning how he was going to go back to Kagome, and apologize for all the things that he had said to her, how he was going to kiss away all her fears, how he was going to help her get over her insecurities. He smiled to himself as he thought of all this, and then he pictured Kagome's face, the way she had looked in the moonlight. His smile grew wider as he thought about how beautiful she was, and so did not see the person rushing towards the door from the other side. He was right about to open it, but the person beat him to it, and ran into him, almost knocking him over. He grabbed onto the person's shoulders, and was suddenly looking straight into the face he had been thinking about.

"Kagome?"

"Inuyasha?"


End file.
